Lucknow: Accusing the BJP of systematically destroying the education system to deprive young minds of independent thinking so that they don’t ask questions over govt failures, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday expressed concern over a sharp decline in count of students attending schools across the state. “BJP govt wants young minds to stay uneducated because people who get education ask questions to govt over its failures,” Akhilesh said in a statement. “This govt does not want to answer any questions. BJP wants youth to remain stuck in conservative superstitions, which is why the education system has been destroyed,” he said. The former CM said education has never been a priority for this (BJP) govt. The entire education system — right from the primary to the intermediate levels — has been made redundant, Akhilesh said. “BJP govt wants to deprive young minds of scientific research and innovation,” he said. Akhilesh said govt has closed schools that were being attended by children from poor families. Ever since BJP govt was formed, thousands of primary schools have been closed. “Govt’s step-motherly treatment towards education has led to sharp decline in number of students attending primary schools in the state,” Akhilesh said. “SP govt had taken steps to encourage children to attend schools and as a part of this endeavour the concept of hot cooked mid-day meal was introduced. A day-specific menu was decided for schools to offer nourishing meals. Fruits, milk were made a part of mid-day meal. These efforts resulted in a significant increase in enrolments across schools in the state,” Akhilesh said. It was during SP govt that Sanskriti School was set up in Lucknow on the lines of the prestigious one in Delhi, and instructions were issued to the education department to set up similar schools across the state, Akhilesh said, adding that BJP govt did not take the initiative forward. “SP govt made education employment oriented. More than 18 lakh students in the state were given laptops, which helped to do away with the demarcation between the rich and the poor students on campus because laptops were not limited to an affluent few,” Akhilesh said. He said the same laptops helped the students with online education during Covid.
